Protests against budget cuts continue in Indonesia's capital

Nationwide student protests against Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's budget cuts continued in Jakarta on Feb 21, marking a key test of his leadership.

- Arlina Arshad

JAKARTA -

The "Dark Indonesia" rally on a damp, drizzly Friday afternoon saw hundreds of students from leading universities carrying banners reading "Children eat for free, parents are laid off" and "Before: Love People. Now: Love People's Money".

As they gathered outside the presidential palace in central Jakarta, many clad in black, they chanted: "Our fight for democracy is not only today, this week or this month. This is our continuous struggle", and "The greatest power in this country is in the people's hands. Long live the people!"

Similar protests drawing thousands of students have taken place over the past week in other parts of the country, including Surabaya, Bali, Medan and Yogyakarta.

They are demanding the immediate repeal of the presidential instruction issued on Jan 22 which mandates 306.7 trillion rupiah (S$25.4 billion) of cuts in government spending, measures they condemned as "rushed and harmful".

Miss Kai, a 19-year-old student at BSI University in Jakarta who goes by one name, said: "I came here to voice the concerns of our society. We hope the government can correct (any) wrong policies before the people protest. We want them to listen to us."

The sweeping cuts, targeting ministries and government agencies, have sparked public outrage, with critics claiming vital sectors have been severely impacted.

In response to the backlash, the government has announced some policy reversals, including reinstating funds for scholarships and government contract workers.